Percussive method for capturing data from simulated indirect fire and direct fire munitions for battle effects in live and/or mixed reality training simulations

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides for systems, devices and methods for weapons modification to allow for use of real weapons in a simulated and augmented environment without exposing participants in the simulated and augmented training to risks of live ammunition. Embodiments of the invention provide an inexpensive and easily attachable/detachable appended system for the weapon which modifies or applies to a weapon in a simple fashion, and is capable of sensing necessary data for use in a simulated or synthetic training experience, and providing audio or tactile feedback to the firer, without rendering the weapon incapable of live fire use by simple detachment of hardware. Embodiments of the invention further provide an inexpensive and easily attachable/detachable weapon modification system that can provide all beneficial data capture, recording and transmission from a live fire weapon to either a simulated training system for processing, or other field use recording system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional patent application No. 63/142,047 filed on Jan. 27, 2021, the contents of each of the foregoing is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a general technique for modifying or applying devices to real indirect fire weapons and direct fire weapons for interaction with a simulated training system. The present invention further relates to a general technique for modifying weapons for recording and/or transmitting data related to live use of the weapons.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modern dismounted infantry training systems have become a useful and effective way to train soldiers prior to and during deployments. Soldiers, police and contracted security forces all have begun to use simulated training systems to teach firearm skills and tactics to trainees and veterans alike. The objective of any simulated training system is to create as realistic a situation as possible.

Many live and simulated training systems use virtual reality simulators or virtual reality simulation techniques in conjunction with modified or simulated weapons configured to interact with the virtual reality simulator. In the case of employing weapons, there is currently a need to use the real weapons of the trainees that can be used realistically in training but interact electronically in the simulation to provide the data necessary to calculate, visualize, and assess their battlefield effects. This information is typically the weapon fire event, weapon orientation with 3 or 6 degrees of freedom, and weapon location in 3D space. Furthermore, communication of this information to the simulation host in near real-time is vital to the simulation being effective for realistic training. The addition of audio and tactile feedback for the fire event is also desired. No such system containing all or a significant portion of the foregoing exists at the moment.

The use of synthetic environments for virtual and live mixed training is nascent so systems are not developed for weapon usage yet. Some basic systems exist in terms of measuring orientation and shot event, but they lack realism since they typically involve simulated weapons (not real) or have extensive modifications of the real weapon to capture and communicate the necessary information to the host server or training architecture gateway device.

The problem with prior art systems that they are not real weapons and do not achieve the realistic training needs of the user, and are expensive in that they require the purchase of a fleet of simulated weapons. Other systems make modifications to real weapons for use in a simulated training system which are extensive, very costly, and typically render the weapon incapable of live fire use without first being mechanically modified back into a live fire weapon. Most of these modifications require internal modification of the weapon or special barrel mounted solutions that require significant time and skill to attach and calibrate.

Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide an inexpensive and easily attachable/detachable appended system for the weapon which modifies or applies to a weapon in a simple fashion, and is capable of sensing necessary data for use in a simulated or synthetic training experience, and providing audio or tactile feedback to the firer, without rendering the weapon incapable of live fire use by simple detachment of hardware. There is a further need in the art to provide an inexpensive and easily attachable/detachable weapon modification system that can provide all beneficial data capture, recording and transmission from a live fire weapon to either a simulated training system for processing, or other field use recording system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides for systems, devices and methods for weapons modification to allow for use of real weapons in a simulated and augmented environment without exposing participants in the simulated and augmented training to risks of live ammunition. Embodiments of the invention provide an inexpensive and easily attachable/detachable appended system for the weapon which modifies or applies to a weapon in a simple fashion, and is capable of sensing necessary data for use in a simulated or synthetic training experience, and providing audio or tactile feedback to the firer, without rendering the weapon incapable of live fire use by simple detachment of hardware. Embodiments of the invention further provide an inexpensive and easily attachable/detachable weapon modification system that can provide all beneficial data capture, recording and transmission from a live fire weapon to either a simulated training system for processing, or other field use recording system.

Aspects of the present invention include a weapons modification system that includes an electronics package, which is made up of electrical and/or mechanical sensor and associated electronics and at least one simulated round.

Aspects of the invention further allow for use of the simulated round to include percussive primers for enhancing shot event.

Aspects of the invention further allow for use of the simulated round to be used in dry fire (without percussive primer) to detect shot event.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Examples illustrative of embodiments of the disclosure are described below with reference to figures attached hereto. In the figures, identical structures, elements or parts that appear in more than one figure are generally labeled with the same numeral in all the figures in which they appear. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are generally chosen for convenience and clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. Many of the figures presented are in the form of schematic illustrations and, as such, certain elements may be drawn greatly simplified or not-to-scale, for illustrative clarity. The figures are not intended to be production drawings. The figures (Figs.) are listed below:

FIG. 1 is a drawing of the general concept of one representation of the system in a cutaway view of a real M320 grenade launcher barrel with the electronics package for data capture, processing, and communication, and its proximity to an inserted percussive simulated round.

FIG. 2 illustrates at least one embodiment of the simulated percussive round having dual baffle chambers to inhibit exhaust of sound, spark, and debris from the percussive blank firing round.

FIG. 3 are drawings of the simulated percussive round having single baffle chambers to inhibit exhaust of sound, spark, and debris from the percussive blank firing round.

FIG. 4 is a representation of the M3 Grenade launcher version of the electronics hardware insert package for data capturing, processing, and communicating, with simple hand tightening attachment method.

FIG. 5 is a representation of the M320 Grenade launcher illustrating the insertion of the electronics hardware insert package into the M320 grenade launcher barrel.

FIG. 6 is a representation of the M3 Multi-role Anti-armor Anti-tank Weapon System (MAAWS) version of the electronics hardware insert package for data capturing, processing, and communicating, with simple hand tightening attachment method.

It should be clear that the description of the embodiments and attached Figures set forth in this specification serves only for a better understanding of the invention, without limiting its scope. It should also be clear that a person skilled in the art, after reading the present specification could make adjustments or amendments to the attached Figures and above described embodiments that would still be covered by the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention, its application, or uses, which may vary. The invention is described with relation to the non-limiting definitions and terminology included herein. These definitions and terminology are not designed to function as a limitation on the scope or practice of the invention, but are presented for illustrative and descriptive purposes only.

Various terms used throughout the specification and claims are defined as set forth below as it may be helpful to an understanding of the invention.

As used herein, “barrel” indicates the launching or firing tube of a weapon, “insert” indicates a hardware device that inserts and affixes to the interior of a weapon, “processing” refers to any computations or logic performed by the device, “fire event” indicates the simulated or real firing of a weapon for training purposes, and “percussive” indicates an audible sound produced mechanically or chemically or in combination at the time of firing, such as a blank round or primer being ignited.

“Live training” refers to live individuals training with other live individuals in a real environment with or without a simulation overlay.

“Simulator training” refers to live individuals interacting with artificial intelligence characters or live individuals online in virtual environment simulator.

“Simulation overlay” refers to the virtual architecture that corresponds to real training locations to enable virtual and augmented reality devices (including this invention) to operate correctly in terms of location, weapon orientation, weapon shot trajectory, head mounted display field of view, and damage effects.

It is to be understood that in instances where a range of values are provided that the range is intended to encompass not only the end point values of the range but also intermediate values of the range as explicitly being included within the range and varying by the last significant figure of the range. By way of example, a recited range of from 1 to 4 is intended to include 1-2, 1-3, 2-4, 3-4, and 1-4.

For this application, references to the M320 Grenade Launcher are used throughout this specification. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that any number of indirect and direct fire weapon systems could be modified in similar manners herein presented and embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any weapon system.

General

The present invention provides for systems and methods for use to modify existing real weapons to allow for effective, accurate, and realistic integration with a simulated virtual reality, augmented reality, or mixed reality environment for live training or simulator training. The present invention further provides for dry fire or percussive cartridges interchangeably in a real M320 Grenade Launcher or other indirect fire or direct fire weapon. The present invention further allows for systems which interface with a simulated, virtual reality, mixed reality, or augmented reality environment.

System

The present invention provides a weapon appendage system which includes at least one electronics package capable of being quickly attached and detached to a weapon, and at least one sensor in electrical communication with the electronics package. Certain embodiments of the present invention further include at least one microphone in electrical communication with said electronics package, at least one accelerometer in electrical communication, at least one magnetometer, at least one gyroscope, and at least one near field communication (NFC) sensor with said electronics package. In at least one embodiment, the electronics package is capable of being mounted in a barrel of a M320 Grenade Launcher or other weapon.

In embodiments where used, the accelerometer is intended to sense dry fire or percussive vibration signatures, and for use in orientation calculations. In embodiments which incorporate one or more sensors, sensors include gyroscopes, magnetometers, and NFC or RFID sensors. In embodiments where included, a gyroscope and magnetometer assist in the capture of the orientation of the weapon, and NFC or RFID sensors are incorporated to identify the percussive simulated round's presence and round type. In embodiments where included, the NFC/RFID sensor's detection of the insertion (loading) of a percussive simulated round using a sensor tag, is a necessary gating condition for confirming a shot event in the training exercise. In embodiments which incorporate one or more microphone, the sound microphone is intended to sense dry fire or percussive sound signatures.

Embodiments of the present invention, the electronics package includes at least one processor for processing one or more signal from the incorporated at least one sensor, at least one microphone, or at least one accelerometer. The processor is intended for processing one or more signals received by one or more of at least one sensor, at least one microphone, or at least one accelerometer. In certain embodiments, a sensor fusion approach confirms the fire event (dry-fire or percussive fire) using the onboard processor, using information from the other sensors. The processing accomplished is a sensor fusion of data from the sensors to confirm the presence and type of simulated ammunition round before executing shot events.

In at least one embodiment, the sensor fusion approach includes use of the processor for confirmation of the sound and accelerometer agreement (two sets of evidence of the weapon being fired), and after the receipt of the NFC/RFID gating condition (evidence that the ammunition is present and the type of ammunition), before reporting a shot event to the simulation.

In some embodiments, the processor confirms a shot event upon receipt of signal from said at least one sensor, at least one microphone, or at least one accelerometer.

In at least one embodiment, use of the processor and the one or more at least one sensor, at least one microphone, or at least one accelerometer allows for the processor to log three (3) degrees of freedom (DOF) orientation information of the weapon at the time of the confirmation of the shot event.

In at least one embodiment, use of the processor and the one or more at least one sensor, at least one microphone, or at least one accelerometer allows for the processor to log at least three (3) degrees of freedom (DOF) orientation information of the weapon at the point in time slightly before the time of the processor's confirmation of the shot event in order to read the correct orientation of the shot event at the actual time of fire. The time delay to be compensated is variable and dependent on the particular processor speed and sensor speed and is usually measured in milliseconds or less.

In at least one embodiment, the electronics package further includes one or more communication device capable of communicating information from the processor to a remote computing device. While there are many suitable communications means known in the art, exemplary communications means include, without limit, Blue Tooth Low Energy, Zigbee, or WIFI or can be wired to another communications system on the trainee. In some embodiments, the information from the electronics package is communicated to the simulation host for processing into the simulation. In at least one embodiment, the electronics package is capable of receiving data from the remote computing device.

Percussive Simulation Rounds

Embodiments of the present invention further include one or more percussive simulation rounds. Where used, percussive simulation rounds include one or more blanks or primers to ignite an audible percussive shot event for training participants to hear, and for the accelerometer to sense, and one or more sets of baffling to prevent spark or heat emission from the barrel. In at least one embodiment, the percussive simulation round has a realistic shape, size, and weight to a real weapons round. In at least one embodiment, the percussive simulation round is a single fire/disposable/reusable or multiple fire dry fire reusable version. FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 each provide for one or more embodiments of exemplary percussive simulation rounds.

It is intended that while some percussive rounds may be used with electronics, in some embodiments the percussive rounds have no active electronics or need for batteries.

Method of Use

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a weapon, such as the M320 Grenade Launcher is modified by securing the electronics package and at least one sensor, microphone or accelerometer in the barrel of the weapon. The at least one sensor, microphone or accelerometers are communicatively connected to the electronics package in such a manner that various operations of a modified weapon may be processed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the various operations of a modified weapon may be processed by the processor and stored in the electronics package and/or transmitted via a wireless or wired network connection to a remote computing device (e.g., laptop, server, smartphone, desktop) for processing, interfacing with a simulated or augmented environment, or storage and analysis.

With respect to the sensors, numerous types of sensors may be utilized and attached to various components of the weapon. Examples of sensors that may be utilized in embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, NFC sensors, RFID sensors, Inertial Movement Units (IMUs), gyroscopes, magnetometers, accelerometers, magnetic reed switches, microswitches, photocells, Ground Positioning Systems (GPS), and IR detectors.

The electronics package may be attached to a weapon through a variety of means. An exemplary embodiment for means of attaching the electronics package to a weapon is by way of barrel mounted electronics package with hand tightening that actuates a compression wedge by moving it down the barrel during tightening of the hand attachment nut. Other means of securing the electronics package include those known in the art.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing disclosure. Embodiments of the present invention are contemplated for use with any simulated training system.

Additionally, according to embodiments of the present invention, the system and method herein provided has application in live training exercises and actual field use as well. Embodiments of the present invention include control units capable of recording live training and field use of the modified weapon. Live fire data capture is also supported in embodiments where the attachment method is not interior to the barrel of the weapon, or otherwise interfering with live fire procedures.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processor or electronics package may record sensor, microphone, IMU, and/or accelerometer events based on the time they occur. This data may be processed to form an entire timeline of how the weapon was used, including when the weapon was fired, what direction/angle/elevation the weapon was fired in and any other sensor event available to a particular modified weapon.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the system and method herein described can be used to modify articles of manufacture other than weapons. Examples include, but are not limited to, paintball guns, video game controllers and simulated weapons. In each example, the resulting modified article of manufacture could be used to interact with a simulated system (e.g., gaming console, simulated training system, remote computing device) or record usage data (e.g., the usage of a paintball gun on a paintball course).

Other Embodiments

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the described embodiments in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof.

The foregoing description is illustrative of particular embodiments of the invention, but is not meant to be a limitation upon the practice thereof. The following claims, including all equivalents thereof, are intended to define the scope of the invention.

It is understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative of only a few of the many possible specific embodiments, which can represent applications of the invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A weapon modification system, the system comprising: at least one electronics package capable of being removeably mounted to a weapon, said electronics package having at least one sensor and at least one processor for processing one or more signal received from said one or more sensor; wherein said processor confirms a shot event upon receipt of signal by at least one processor from said at least one sensor.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor is at least one microphone, at least one accelerometer, at least one gyroscope, at least one magnetometer, at least one near field communication (NFC) sensor, at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor, or combinations thereof.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor logs three (3) degrees of freedom (DOF) orientation information of the weapon at the time of, or slightly before, the confirmation of the fire event.
 4. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronics package is capable of detecting when a round has been loaded.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronics package is capable of determining the type of round loaded.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein said electronics package further comprises one or more wireless communication devices for communicating information from the electronics package to a remote computing device.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein said wireless communication device is via Bluetooth device, Zigbee, cellular communication device, low powered wireless electronic network (Wi-Fi), infrared device, radio transmitting device, microwave communication device.
 8. The system of claim 6 wherein said wireless communication device is capable of receiving data from said remote computing device.
 9. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more simulation rounds.
 10. The system of claim 9 wherein said simulation round has a realistic shape, size, and weight to a real weapons round.
 11. The system of claim 9 further comprising communication between said at least one electronics package and said at least one simulated round.
 12. The system of claim 9 wherein said processor confirms a shot event upon receipt of signal by at least one processor from said at least one sensor while in the communicated presence of said at least one simulated round.
 13. The system of claim 9 wherein said at least one simulated round is a percussive simulated round, said percussive simulated round further comprising: one or more blanks or primers to ignite an audible percussive shot event for participants to hear; and one or more baffling arrangements to limit sound, and prevent spark or heat emission from the barrel.
 14. The system of claim 13 wherein said percussive simulation round is a single fire/disposable/reusable, or multiple fire and dry fire reusable version.
 15. A method for modifying a weapon without alteration of the weapon for use of said weapon in a simulation environment, the method comprising: securing at least one electronics package to said weapon, said electronics package having at least one sensor and at least one processor for processing one or more signal received from said one or more sensor; and using said weapon in a live and/or simulated environment, or a mixed live and simulated environment; wherein said processor confirms a shot event upon receipt of signal by at least one processor from said at least one sensor.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein said at least one sensor is at least one microphone, at least one accelerometer, at least one gyroscope, at least one magnetometer, at least one near field communication (NFC) sensor, at least one radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor, or combinations thereof.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein said processor logs three (3) degrees of freedom (DOF) orientation information of the weapon at the time of, or slightly before, the confirmation of the fire event.
 18. The method of claim 15 further comprising using one or more simulation rounds.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said at least one simulated round is a percussive simulated round, said percussive simulated round further comprising: one or more blanks or primers to ignite an audible percussive shot event for participants to hear; and one or more baffling arrangements to limit sound, and prevent spark or heat emission from the barrel.
 20. The method of claim 18 further comprising communication between said at least one electronics package and said at least one simulated round. 